Arrivals (or how to make a statement with posters and glitter)
by baronesscmd
Summary: Airport arrivals are always interesting, especially when you're a reformed Mad Genius Supervillain and your Partner in what-was-Crime is picking you up.


This started out as rambling headcanons with GothicTundra, became a gif, and a story. Thanks!

Not my characters, just having a bit of fun. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

It starts as a joke, and slowly but surely becomes a habit. A promise. Something.

Whatever. (Shego's the one with the fancy teaching degree, and her lists of Everything Drakken Does Wrong. Off track.)

It starts as a joke.

Drakken is obligated to go away for the weekend to visit his mother. Obligation, because if he doesn't go to her, she will come to him.

And whatever strange friendship that his mother and Shego have struck up does not bode well for him in any sense of the imagination. They both have far too much ammunition to make fun of him.

It's best to keep them apart for everyone's sanity.

Especially his.

So when he tells Shego that he'll be going away, she reminds him of her appointment with Midas at her favorite spa, No Refunds, and that he'd already promised her the hovercar.

Which is how four in the morning finds him at the airport, suitcase in hand, clutching a blessedly first class ticket.

(He knows Shego pulled strings. Which ones she pulled, he isn't quite sure, and doesn't know that he wants to.)

So, he spends a weekend with his mother; not quite as relaxing as he'd wanted, but enough. They bake and talk; the whole mess of villainy and the College Years finally comes spilling out. She seems less upset about the villainy than she does about the bullying, but his family has always been a bit odd.

He flies back in late, weary from a delayed flight and turbulence.

Shego looks just his opposite; glowing, bright, and refreshed.

(Maybe he _should_ go on a weekend with her…)

He's coming down the escalator into baggage claim when he spots her, sleeveless green top and black jeans, holding something in her hands.

The minute she spots him, her bored expression melts away into the shit eating grin he's come to know with a bit of trepidation. She unfurls what's in her hands, turns out to be a poster board, and starts laughing at the look he knows is on his face.

In huge, bright, glittering blue letters, the word NERD is emblazoned on the board. He can feel a flush creeping up his cheeks, but this is the reaction she was hoping for. She folds it gently once he reaches her, and they head off to find his luggage to gentle ribbing.

It happens again a few months later.

They've blown a wire in the hovercar, so he's flying commercial again. They happen to be in one of the residential lairs, so Shego can drive him and pick him up.

He's not visiting mother this time, but an aunt who's decided that his brand of...oddness will come in handy while she cleans out the attic.

(She's right. How one woman can amass so many inventions that villains would kill to get their hands on, he'll never know.)

He promises his aunt that once he has the hovercar up and working again, he'll be back to pick up the machines he knows he can repurpose and resell.

(It's a tidy little sum that will settle his Aunt for the rest of her life.)

Shego texts him just before his flight leaves that she might be a little late, but she'll keep him updated. He shrugs it off and settles into his seat, pulling up the blueprints for one of the machines. A few hours later finds him heading down to baggage, no word from Shego yet.

Instead, at the carousel where his bag is supposed to be, she's leaning with that awful sign.

(There's more glitter on it, he'd bet the Caribbean Lair on it.)

The "delay" had been Shego working furiously to get the hovercar fixed to jet to the lair for The Poster. She'd only just made it back to the states as he'd been landing.

And it keeps going.

Whenever he has to head out of town and can't take the hovercar, Shego meets him at the airport with The Poster in hand.

One time she'd manage to wrangle the henchmen into it as well, and he'd nearly turned and walked back up the escalator.

Their life has been quiet without...blatant villainy. Shego likes small crimes to see what she can get away with, and he'd be lying if he didn't find it hilarious as she straight up lied to the authorities.

It's weirdly domestic, something he never thought would actually be a thing.

So when he goes away for another weekend to see his mother, (who had so hoped Shego could make it this time), he has A Plan.

His mother finds it odd, but endearing.

(But mostly odd. She's given up on him settling down with a normal life and family. Well, not so much on the family; a mother can hope.)

As usual, Shego is waiting at the bottom of the escalator with The Poster.

His heart stutters for a moment, when he sees her. The green sleeveless dress and black boots are familiar; she'd worn them for the celebration he'd attended a few weeks ago.

(She's terrifyingly lovely, and oh, he's in deep.)

The Poster is even more obnoxious than usual. There's more glitter, falling like snowflakes as she unfurls it; he swears she adds another layer everytime she comes to get him.

This time, though, she's added Welcome Home, Dorkken to the top.

It's oddly touching.

He's nearly at the bottom of the escalator when he reaches back and lets the poster he's brought unfurl.

He's playing a dangerous game now.

He lets the giddy smirk take his features as hers becomes suspicious. He steps off and away from the rest of the people, but not close enough to be in her range of attack.

He's learned that lesson the hard way, several times.

He pulls the poster from behind his back, glitter scattering as she takes it in. Shego's poster never wavers, doesn't catch fire, nothing he might have suspected.

Instead, she throws her head back and laughs, drawing the attention of the people around them. He laughs with her, finally coming to stop at her side.

Her fingers brush against the bright green glitter on his poster, before reaching up to wipe it off on his jacket. He expected this.

She takes The Poster, v2, and tucks it against her own, so the words Your Nerd are visible to everyone they pass. Then, she hooks her arm through his and leads him out the doors.

It's strangely domestic, especially for Shego, but he's not going to question it. Perhaps the little ring box in his bag will be met with the same happiness.

(It is.)


End file.
